Page 53 of Awakened
Sure enough, Zach and a few other Brooks pack members spilled out of an SUV.
“I told him I’d meet him later.” I stood from the log we were sitting on and brushed dirt off my ass.
“You better get out to him before Marie does.” Alex nervously looked around. Her original pack was pretty conservative, so despite being with the Amazons for about a year, she was still wound pretty tight.
“It’ll be okay.”
“Mm-hmm,” Alex hummed into her beer, face still uncertain.
Skipping across the field, I met Zach at the edge of the gravel road. “What are you doing here?”
He flashed me a brilliant smile. “Alpha Landry offered the Brooks pack an exclusive invite to celebrate the brand new Amazon Beta.” Bowing, he said, “Congratulations Beta Spencer.”
When he straightened, he glanced over his shoulder to where his pack members leaned against the expensive vehicle, watching the partying Amazons with amusement. “These three were the only ones brave enough to come.”
I frowned. “We’re notthatscary.” Behind me was a round of howls followed by admittedly eerie laughter. “Point made. Well, come on. Let’s get you a drink.”
The Brooks wolves stuck out like the three fortune five hundred motherfuckers they were but nonetheless were welcomed with enthusiasm.
Beau and Melanie yet again materialized at the edge of the forest, clearly fresh from a bit of nature-loving. As I stood there trying to pay attention to the people talking around me, my gaze couldn’t help but be drawn to the couple. The gentle way he picked the leaves and sticks from her hair, the sweet way she leaned into him as if he was her shelter from the world—everything in me yearned for that kind of love.
“You okay, Sunshine?” Zach took my hand in his, entangling our fingers. It was nice, but not exactly right.
“I don’t know. Want to go for a walk?”
Frowning, he nodded, and I led him toward the road.
“What’s going on?” He ran his thumb across my knuckles.
I shook my head. “I think I might be ready for more.”
“You’re already beta. What more could you want?”
“No.” I laughed, shoving my hair from my face. “I mean, I’m ready for more in a relationship.” Jerking my chin back toward the party, I said, “I want what Beau and Melanie have. I want it all.”
“Ah.” Zach dropped my hand and grabbed the back of his neck. “I don’t think?—”
“No, I know,” I cut him off. “That’s not what this is. But . . .”
“Seth,” he answered with a soft smile. “You could have it with Seth.”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe? I’ll have to find him first, but yeah.”
Zach caught my hand and pulled me to a stop. “Then let’s find him.”
“Yeah?” I asked in disbelief.
“Of course. You’ll never be able to move on if you don’t see what could happen there.”
I took a step closer and brushed a hand down his jacket. “And you’ll be okay?”
He huffed, and a puff of white air filled the space between us. “Sure. I’ll miss you, but I can’t be that.” He waved toward the bonfire. “It wouldn’t be fair to hold you back from what you want.”
Wrapping my arms around his waist, I buried my nose in his chest, inhaling deeply. I felt a bone-deep love for the man, but something stood in the way of it becoming more. My heart told me it was Seth. No man would stand a chance until I worked through my unfinished business with Seth Collins.
PART 2
ELEVEN
